Harper Law
1 lawyer · Waterloo Region
One of 105 law firms listed in Kitchener, and one of 44 handling Family Law.
About Harper Law
Harper Law is a solo family law practice in downtown Kitchener, run by Shelly Harper, who has practised in the city since 1985. Harper earned a law degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1983 and was called to the Ontario bar in 1985, then spent more than two decades at a local firm before opening this practice in 2007. The day to day is family law: separation and divorce, parenting arrangements, child and spousal support, and the agreements that go with them.
The practice leans toward settling family matters without a courtroom fight. It offers collaborative practice, mediation, arbitration, a combined mediation and arbitration option, and neutral evaluation, and it also acts as a client's own lawyer on cohabitation agreements, marriage contracts, and separation agreements. So the firm works two ways: as one person's advocate, and as a neutral mediator, arbitrator, or evaluator for a whole family. That neutral side comes with specific training, including advanced collaborative practice courses and a program on assessing domestic violence and power imbalances in family arbitration. Earlier in the career, the work ran to civil litigation and cases that reached the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- Called to the Ontario bar in 1985 and has practised family law in Kitchener ever since.
- Opened as a solo practice in 2007, after more than twenty years with a Kitchener firm.
- Past president and an executive member of Best4all, the collaborative practice group for Waterloo Region.
- Co-chaired the organizing committee for the Ontario Collaborative Law Federation's annual conference in 2005.
- Completed level 1 and level 2 advanced training in collaborative family law, plus a program on assessing domestic violence and power imbalances for family arbitration.
- Co-author of Civil Action for Childhood Sexual Abuse, published by Butterworths in 1994.
In the community
- Guest lecturer at Wilfrid Laurier University's Faculty of Social Work from 1986 to 1994.
- Has presented at Collaborative Family Law Association events and at an Ontario Collaborative Law Federation conference.
- Listed among the collaborative professionals of Best4all, the Waterloo Region network that connects lawyers, financial advisors, and family and child specialists for divorce that stays out of court.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessible
By appointmentWho handles what
The neighbourhood
The office sits in the historic core of downtown Kitchener, close to King Street, the city's main downtown spine. For a family in the middle of a separation, the central location is mostly a practical thing: it's an easy trip from anywhere in Waterloo Region, with the ION light rail running through downtown and parking nearby.
The setting also matches how the firm works. Rather than steering people toward the courthouse, its collaborative and mediation approach usually means sitting down around a table in a downtown office, bringing in financial or family professionals when a file needs them, and settling matters in the room instead of in front of a judge.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Harper Law handle separation and divorce in Kitchener?
- Yes. Family law has been the focus since 1985, covering separation, divorce, parenting arrangements, and child and spousal support, along with cohabitation agreements, marriage contracts, and separation agreements.
- What is collaborative practice, and does the firm offer it?
- Collaborative practice is a voluntary process where each person keeps their own lawyer as an advocate, and the team can add financial and family professionals to reach a settlement without going to court. The firm offers it, and Shelly Harper has completed advanced collaborative practice training.
- Can the firm act as a neutral mediator or arbitrator, not just as my lawyer?
- Yes. Beyond acting as a client's own lawyer, the firm provides neutral services as a mediator, arbitrator, mediator and arbitrator, and neutral evaluator for families. A lawyer can't act as both your advocate and the mediator in the same matter, so those are separate roles.
- What's the difference between mediation and arbitration here?
- In mediation, a neutral facilitator helps the family reach its own agreement and doesn't decide anything. In arbitration, the parties agree to let a neutral arbitrator make a binding decision. There's also a combined option where one person mediates first, then arbitrates only what's left unresolved.
- Do I still need my own lawyer if we use mediation or arbitration?
- The firm recommends getting independent legal advice no matter which process you choose.
- How long does it take, and what does it cost?
- The firm says timing and cost depend on how cooperative the parties are. When people work together and can reach solutions, the process is generally shorter and less expensive.
Where to find them
Kitchener, ON N2H 2H2
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